In a brisk 85 minutes, director Josh Mond is able to create a frantic and escalating drama that never leaves its two main characters behind. “James White” is Mond's feature-length directorial debut. Mond doesn’t necessarily deliver insight with heavy themes and elusive motifs, but instead offers an intimate character study based, at least in some ways, on his personal life experiences.
What unfolds on screen is an examination of the titular James White character's self-destruction, juxtaposed with his mother’s devastating and all-consuming cancer; the film's pace never lets up and constantly tugs on the heart strings. The end result is a brief, audacious and “in-your-face” type of film that could only exist in the independent school of filmmaking.
In New York City, 2013, 21-year-old James White (Christopher Abbott) struggles to find a motivation to get on his feet after years of taking care of his sick mother (Cynthia Nixon) and his distant father’s death. Instead, James resorts to the bottle and other harmful behavior, often ignoring many opportunities that are presented to him that would drive his writing career forward. In the winter, he takes a long trip to Mexico with friends as a last bender before getting his life in order, but his vacation is cut short when his mother’s cancer comes back and he is expected to be her primary caretaker.
“James White” marks the debut of auteur director-writer Josh Mond, but Mond’s direction is understated, and his vision is mostly realized by cinematographer Mátyás Erdély. Erdély isn’t the biggest name in the industry, but he found a way to set himself apart this year with “James White” and the even riskier “Son of Saul.”
Comparisons can be drawn between the way the two films are shot, especially when it comes to the frequent extreme close-ups and masterful usage of soft focus. This technique is employed with such interest in both of these films and is used to explore character motives; it draws the viewers to parts of the shots that would’ve gone unnoticed. Despite being interesting and mostly useful, Erdély takes these techniques a step too far in the opening ten minutes, which are maybe too “in-your-face” and exposing.
Erdély’s presence is more stated than Mond’s, but this isn’t a bad thing, as Erdély does a fantastic job of creating tension and chaos in his imagery and framing. In fact, “James White” tumbles with uneven inertia, racing to the final act, which falls apart in a calculated way.
Although no one would dare to predict a happy ending for James, for much of the film, he is mostly able to sustain a normal and livable life where things go right more often than they go wrong. Scenes of clubbing, tripping and dancing come to an end at the hour mark as Mond stretches shots and quickly decreases the tempo of the film and reaches its expected, but harrowing finale.
What drives “James White” and elevates it from a perceivably slight and aboriginal drama is the relationship between James and his mother, Gail. Abbott loses himself as James in a “star is born” role. Abbott balances the sensitivity and love that James has for his mother, but never fails to explore the dark side of James — the aspect of his personality that drinks, starts fights and becomes a failure despite being set-up for success.
Yet, the glue that holds together “James White” is Nixon, who displays tenderness and love despite her deterioration. As Gail’s condition worsens, Nixon fully commits to the physicality required to compassionately show her sickness. It is a subtle performance but is effective because of Nixon’s maternal energy.
Ultimately, “James White” is an instant staple in independent filmmaking and succeeds in being a semi-autobiographical tale that ditches all self-indulgent pretenses. Where Mond most succeeds is letting the parts of “James White” speak for themselves instead of over-directing and bogging down the film with too many of his ideas.
Instead, “James White” relies on the strength of the entire quartet: Mond, Abbott, Nixon and Erdély.
Related Links:
Italian director Paolo Sorrentino examines banality of aging in 'Youth'
Lesbian drama 'Carol' exceeds labels, becoming one of Hollywood's greatest love stories
Reach the reporter at tanner.stechnij@asu.edu or follow @tannerstechnij on Twitter.
Like The State Press on Facebook and follow @statepress on Twitter.
